


rose covered fields

by shelliebyrne



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Character Death, Depression, F/F, Guilt, One-Sided Relationship, ghost character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:25:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelliebyrne/pseuds/shelliebyrne
Summary: Ruby Rose will never turn sixteenWeiss becomes racked with guilt and starts seeing her dead partnershe's going crazybut at least Ruby is with her





	1. turning sixteen

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me

Weiss’ feet ached with every step she took and a migraine was forming behind her eyes. The thought of just slipping to the ground and sleeping was invading her mind and taking up every inch of her concentration and she almost gave in when suddenly Ruby whimpered from her semi-conscious state. Weiss remembered the very reason she was still going and forced her aching feet to move forward. Her arm was wrapped around Ruby’s waist and the other was holding her teammates arm over her shoulder. It was painfully uncomfortable for the both of them but there was nothing else Weiss could do. 

It became painfully aware to Weiss that her partner was dying. Blood freely dripped from the large open wound in Ruby’s stomach and left a crimson trail similar to Ruby’s rose petals on the ground. Every so often Ruby would jerk into consciousness and it would result in her constantly apologizing for something that wasn’t even her fault. And each time Weiss would pray that Ruby was fall unconscious to save her from feeling so guilty from the injury of her partner. It was supposed to be Weiss’ job to project Ruby. Sure the caped girl was strong but sometimes Weiss was reminded at just how young Ruby was compared to them, still immature and innocent. And because of Weiss she was bleeding out. 

“Come on Ruby s-stay with me” Weiss pleaded as she continued down the road on unsteady feet. Every so often she would sway dangerously and her vision would blank and other times she would trip over her own feet and curse them for being so incompetent “Just stay with me. We’re almost home ok”

That was a lie and Weiss knew she was spitting out the lies through her teeth. She didn’t have a clue where they were and just how far away Beacon was. Her scroll had been lost during the fight and Ruby’s was dead. Weiss found herself glancing up at the sky filled with dark clouds obscuring the shattered moon. She prayed to whatever god was up there that they made it home. Or that someone who knew what to do would come along and save them. Weiss’ legs threatened to give out underneath her but she ignored their protests and managed to make it down to the end of the street.

Weiss dared glance at Ruby and was shocked to see her skin had paled even more than usual. Blood streaked down from an open head wound and sweat was pouring down her skin. Her entire weight was leaning against Weiss and her breath was shallow and quick. It amazed Weiss that Ruby had managed to remain even a little bit conscious through the horrible pain she probably felt. Weiss could barely stand with a gash across her leg but Ruby had been through so much worse and was still fighting. Every so often Ruby would try to walk on her own to ease Weiss of the burden but her legs would give way and she’d collapse against Weiss. 

Weiss really didn’t want to think of the worst outcome, the most likely outcome that Ruby was going to die in her arms before they made it back to Beacon where the best medical staff this side of Remnant could fix Ruby up easily. She didn’t want to think of it but she kept getting reminded of it every time she glanced at Ruby. Her silver eyes had shut and her breathing was the only thing that told Weiss that Ruby was still alive. But even her breathing had become faint. 

“I’m sorry Weiss” Ruby whispered so quietly Weiss wasn’t even sure if she had said it and it wasn’t just her exhaustion playing tricks on her mind “You should just leave me here and go get help. It w-will be q-quicker” 

“No way I’m not leaving you, ever” Weiss responded within a second. Her heart pounded at the very thought of leaving her partner and coming back to find her dead in the street. She shook her head of the thought and dragged Ruby through the empty street. 

The street lamps overhead flickered as they walked by and silence settled between them again. Ruby groaned as Weiss shifted her slightly for more comfort and she mentally apologized to the younger girl but couldn’t find the way to get the words out. As she pushed on, Weiss remembered all the harsh words she had shouted at Ruby. All the times she had called her incompetent and immature. The thoughts made her head spin and the guilty feeling made itself known in the pit of her stomach. Because when it came down to it, Ruby was a better huntress then Weiss could ever be. It had been Ruby that had stood up to that White Fang member. It had been Ruby who had taken the hit that was intended for Weiss and still she fought through the pain until he was down. 

Now Ruby was bleeding out in her arms and Weiss couldn’t even find her own way home. Weiss managed to trip over her stupid heels and heard a gasp from Ruby as she was jostled in the fall. Weiss’ knees hit the pavement painfully and the grip on her partner faltered and Ruby was sent flying. Weiss heard a sickening crack as her partner’s head hit the pavement loudly. She crawled over to Ruby through the pain and sobbed through her apologies. But Ruby wasn’t conscious anymore and her breathing was barely detectable. 

“I’m so sorry” Weiss cried as she pulled her friend onto her back and held her in a piggy back style. Ruby’s head lolled against Weiss’ shoulder as she picked up the pace and walked faster. Beacon couldn’t be much further and Weiss was determined to get there even if it killed her. 

Weiss could feel the warm blood staining the back of her dress and before she would’ve killed Ruby just for staining her favourite jacket. But now it worried her more than anything. Ruby’s wound was bleeding heavily and Weiss was sure she would bleed out before they made it anywhere near Beacon. She realized that she should’ve torn her skirt to make a makeshift bandage to at least slow the bleeding. But Weiss hadn’t thought of that and now Ruby was paying the price. 

“Oh W-Weiss your favourite jacket” Ruby whispered and tried feebly to push herself off of Weiss’ back to save her friend’s jacket. Weiss was momentarily stunned as Ruby pawed at her shoulder weakly “Don’t ruin it because of me”

“You dolt!” Weiss shrieked “Don’t you think you’re a bit more important than a stupid jacket? D-do you really think I value a piece of clothing more than you?”   
There was a moment of silence. A skip of a heartbeat and then,

“Do you?”

It took Weiss back at how unsure Ruby sounded. It suddenly hit Weiss like a ton of bricks that she had treated Ruby so badly and had never even apologized and despite all that Ruby had still selflessly saved Weiss from an attack just because she was a Schnee. Her skin turned icy and the guilt formed a lump in her throat. But right now was not a time to berate herself for stupid actions. She needed to save Ruby because she was all that mattered. Weiss forced herself to move faster.

“Of course not Ruby” Weiss spoke and suddenly found the strength in her voice “I’ve acted like a terrible partner since the beginning and I guess I was just angry that someone so young could be so good at something I trained harder for than anything. I was jealous and I took it out on you. I’m so sorry Ruby” 

“I-it’s alright. I never hated you for it” Ruby responded quietly and leaned her head against Weiss shoulder “I appreciated you more because of your honesty” 

Weiss suddenly felt like they were going to make it and Ruby would be just fine. She was talking and seemed a bit more alert as her eyes remained firmly open and Weiss was sure she saw that light coming from them. Determination bled from Ruby’s eyes and it spurred Weiss on through the pain and exhaustion. They were going to make it and from then on Weiss was going to be the best partner anyone could ask for because Ruby deserved it. 

Weiss’ feet suddenly gave out underneath her and she fell forward with a sickening crack against the concrete. Her vision swam and she blacked out for a few minutes. It took a minute for her to regain her composure and force herself to sit up despite the way the world spun and made her nauseous. She glanced at Ruby and her heart lurched because her eyes were closed and Weiss lunged forward and grabbed Ruby’s shoulders. She shook her violently and begged Ruby to wake up and stay with her but the younger girl didn’t move. She wasn’t even breathing and Weiss felt all the blood run from her body. 

Before Weiss could collapse from exhaustion, she grabbed Ruby’s hand and squeezed it. She willed the girl to wake up and reassure her that they were going to make it and graduate as huntresses together. Weiss wanted Ruby to go on about how they were going to be a team after graduation and fight together for years. But Ruby was gone and it became painfully aware to Weiss that they weren’t going to graduate together. It became painfully aware that Ruby would never turn sixteen. 

Weiss collapsed beside her best friend and passed out still holding onto Ruby’s hand.


	2. Dying doesn't mean gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is falling apart

Ruby felt like there was something she was supposed to do but the thought kept slipping through her mind like sand through fingers. Small fragments drifted across her mind but nothing stuck and she didn’t care. She was in the dining hall watching team RWBY and JNPR throwing food at each other and she felt contempt, tired but contempt. Beyond their tables in the corner, Ruby could see nothing but bright light and it confused her briefly but she didn’t pay attention. She was happy enough to rest her head in her hands and watch her friends mess fight. 

Every so often her teammates would glance at her and smile and she would return it but occasionally Weiss would look sad. Sometimes Blake would shut the others out completely and bury her face into a book and Yang looked mad. They would shift between the two, happy and sad, and it confused Ruby more than the emptiness beyond the tables. Her hand reached out and brushed past Yang’s and her eyes would shift between lilac and red. 

Ruby didn’t understand it but she was too tired to try working it out.  
\----------------  
Yang’s eyes had permanently shifted to red. Weiss had seen them shifting between the two since she had collapsed outside of Beacon three weeks ago with a dead Ruby in her arms. Three weeks since they had buried her beside her mother and Weiss had to watch Ruby’s father break down before them all. Yang had taken one look at Weiss and red bled into the lilac. But they had turned permanent and Yang couldn’t find a way to turn them back to their soft lilac. It had always been known that Yang had anger issues and Ruby had always been the one person to calm her, the single presence that could make red turn to lilac simply by just being there and without her everything was falling apart. 

Blake had always been quiet and Weiss had come to terms with the fact that her teammate just wasn’t a people person and she had respected that. But Blake had completely shut them all out and hadn’t said a word since the funeral. Her eyes were always vacant and she wasn’t always there with them in the moment. Always off in some other world where everything wasn’t so dull and messed up. Weiss hadn’t even managed to get Blake to react when she attempted conversation. It made the dorm room tense whenever the three of them were in it. 

Weiss had tried to piece the team back together slowly but they wouldn’t co-operate. The dorm room had become a dead zone with them barely occupying it. Yang spent most of her nights out at bars and nightclubs, Blake hid away in the library and Weiss found herself alone most nights. Without a leader, Weiss had been assigned the position and months ago she would’ve reveled in getting what she wanted but know it was just all wrong. She wasn’t a leader and could barely hold a candle to Ruby when it came to leading the team and Weiss worried that there wasn’t going to be a team to lead. 

It was late when Yang stumbled back in smelling of cheap alcohol. She could barely stand on her own feet and had to lean against the wall for support. Red eyes flashed over to Weiss who had been studying at the desk and their eyes met briefly. It had been the most contact they had in weeks. From the look on Yang’s face, Weiss knew not to start a conversation because it would probably result in an argument. 

“I’m leaving the team” 

It took Weiss a moment to realize just what her teammate had said and in that moment she had sprung to her feet and stared down the blonde with a mix of horror and worry. It had always been Yang’s dream to be a huntress so she could travel around and save people along the way. Weiss scanned Yang’s face and saw no hints that she was joking. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and approached her. 

“Ruby wouldn’t want that” Weiss muttered cautiously. Her hand reached out gently and landed on the brute’s shoulder and was surprised to see Yang making no move to remove it “She’d want you to become an amazing huntress and help others” 

“She’s gone” Yang whispered. 

“She’s sti-” Weiss started but felt Yang’s skin burning under her fingers. The blonde’s hair rose as flames crackled and she yanked Weiss’ hand away. 

“She’s gone Weiss! Gone and never coming back so what difference does it make if I stay or go?” Yang roared “I can’t stay here in this dorm and know she’s never coming through that door again or she’s never going to graduate with us” her voice wavered at the end and finally cracked as she whispered “I can’t graduate without her” 

Weiss felt Yang’s arms wrapping around her waist as the girl sobbed into her shoulder. The heat in the room died down as Yang continued to cry and Weiss comforted her. She felt her own tears slipping down her cheeks but kept quiet. The door opened and Weiss watched as Blake cautiously entered and stared at the pair. Her bottom lip wobbled and Weiss held her hand out. Blake had never been the hugging type but she gratefully joined in and they stayed like that for what felt like hours. 

Yang was gone the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> So i decided to rewrite this to make it better because i didn't like how it was previously written. I made it longer so yay!


End file.
